Lions OTA 3 Takeaways: Defense Is Better, Will Hooker Backup Goff?

Latest Lone Wolves podcast evaluates main takeaways from Lions OTAs.

Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was certainly impressed the personnel department improved the defense this offseason.

Glenn noted that he regularly has conversations with general manager Brad Holmes and is grateful there were many additions made to the defense.

"The thing we always talk about is, ‘How can we improve this team?’ And our personnel department does a really good job of identifying areas on our defense that we have to improve," said Glenn. "It also creates competition. Sometimes, people think that just because you drafted a guy that that was a soft spot, no, you just drafted the best guy and that you just created competition on your team. I think that’s what we’ve done across the board with our D-line and our secondary. We’ve always done it on linebackers. Just being able to do that, the manner that we did, man, it’s been exciting for everybody.”

Heading into minicamp and training camp, the defense will now have their opportunity to showcase just much improvement has been made.

The other main takeaway from the first week of OTAs is in regards to Hendon Hooker's development and what his role will be in 2024.

“In my opinion, that’s what you’re looking for too. You just paid a guy $53 million a year over the next four years, so you do not need a game-breaker to be your backup quarterback. What you need is somebody who can be a Teddy Bridgewater-type," said Christian Booher. "Who can come into the game, Jared Goff goes down for a week, two weeks, where quarterback is the least of your concerns. You saw what happened with the New York Jets last year when Aaron Rodgers went down in Week 1, out for the season.

"That team should’ve been a playoff team contending for the Super Bowl with all the pieces they had. Quarterback goes down, everything goes off the rails. If you’re the Lions, you want to make sure that doesn’t happen to you," Booher continued. "So they’ve fortified the roster with different pieces offensively and defensively. They need to find that backup quarterback and they want it to be Hendon Hooker. He’s gonna get every chance to be the backup quarterback. That’s what they’re looking for and really that’s what I am too.”

The latest Lone Wolves podcast explored the main takeaways from the first week of organized team activities.

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Additional reading

1.) Dan Campbell: 'I Don’t See Bust, I See Super Bowl'

2.) Jack Campbell: 49ers Loss 'Eats at Me'

3.) Top Photos: Detroit Lions OTAs 3

4.) 'Me Next': Jameson Williams Has Matured, Wants to Be Best WR Ever